Exit12: Stories of War - Intrepid Museum 2024

STORIES OF WAR

FRIDAY MAY 31ST, 2024 7:00PM

Intrepid Museum

New York, NY

Photo:Alberto Vasari

STORIES OF WAR

Exit12 Dance Company, the Intrepid Museum, and CreatiVets thank you for joining us for our performance of Stories of War in honor of Memorial Day.

As three organizations focused on positively impacting lives of veterans and their families through art, we have spent the last two months working with members of the military community to create a new work about their experiences set to a soundscape that includes their voices.

The experiences of people who serve, and the impact of that service on their families, is diverse and often hard to comprehend. Art offers a way to make those experiences accessible.

We also have created a new work set to CreatiVets songs written by veterans and singer-songwriters through a series of workshops. Our new collaborative work, The Last Letter Home, takes inspiration from the letter that a deployed service member entrusts to their battle buddy. In the case they don’t make it home, the letter will.

This evening gives us the opportunity to honor those who have touched our lives and left us their letters so that we can remember.

Thank you,

ROMÁN BACA

Artistic Director and Co-Founder

Exit12

Dance Company

Román Baca

STORIES OF WAR

PROGRAM ORDER

OH BACA! ...........................................................................................Román Baca

SOMETIMES, SILENCE ................................................. Exit12 Dance Company Artists

Choreographed by: Angela Scimonelli, Army Mom

Music by: Paul Scimonelli, US Marine Band (Ret )

CHWAR CHRA HOTEL ....................................................................................Román Baca

YARJUUN ....................................Exit12 Company Artists, Monique Arrucci, Kelsee Jordan

Inspired by choreography from a student workshop in Erbil, Iraq led by Robin Cantrell and Román Baca, with additional choreography from dancers

Music: Vitamin String Quartet, Aphex Twin

POEM ..................................................................................................Jenny Pacanowski

RE-EVOLUTION ......................................................................Exit12 Dance Company Artists

Choreographed by: Michael Wright

Music by: Philip Glass

THREE OF HER FATHER’S POEMS FROM WWII: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE STEREOTYPES

WHY WE ARE HERE .......................................................................................Judith Exler

BUILDING HOPE .................................Exit12 Company Artists and Workshop Participants

Choreographed by: Exit12 Company Artists and Workshop Participants

Soundscape: Matthew Harding and Román Baca

Voices: Workshop Participants

POEM .............................................................................................................Monique Arrucci

THE LAST LETTER HOME ...............................................Exit12 Dance Company Artists

Choreographed by: Román Baca, Lisa Fitzgerald, Taylor Gordon and Exit12 Artists

Live Music by: Chris Ferrara

Music by: CreatiVets*

DIALOGUE WITH AUDIENCE ..............................Moderated by Dave de la Fuente

WINE

AND CHEESE RECEPTION

*See list of songs and artsts on next page Wooden rifle sculptures created by Lumia Liu

STORIES OF WAR

COMPANY

EXIT12 DANCE COMPANY

Román Baca

Co-Founder and Artistic Director

Lisa Fitzgerald

Co-Founder and Associate Artistic Director

Adrienne de la Fuente

Executive Director

Taylor Gordon

Artistic Associate

Artists and Special Guests*

Audrey Borst, Nicholas Cunha, Adrienne de la Fuente, Gabriel DeRego, Taylor

Gordon, Lisa Fitzgerald, Jafet Reinoso, Dave de la Fuente*, Kelsee Jordan*

Participants

James P Stanton, Jonathan Jordan , Monique Arrucci, Jenny Pacanowski, Donna Zephrine, Marianna (MJ), Guoqi Feng, Tommy Williams, Zoe Marie Brown, Judith Exler, Jennifer Alvarez

Board of Directors

Dave de la Fuente -President

Maureen Kaplan - Treasurer

Taylor Gordon - Secretary

Calia Brencsons-Van Dyk, Adrienne de la Fuente, Lisa Fitzgerald, Román Baca

INTREPID MUSEUM

Charlotte Martin Director of Access Initiatives

CREATIVETS

Richard Casper

Co-Founder and Executive Director

*CreatiVets Music

Anya Hudyncia Grant Writer

I Can’t Cry - played live by Chris Ferrara

Never Forget Them

Trigger

Purpose

We Are America by Johnny and Hiedi, Chris Ferrara, Erik Dylan, and Kalsey Kuylk you can listen to the whole catalogue at: https://creativets.lnk.to/FollowWE

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 COMPANY ARTISTS

ROMÁN BACA

Artistic Director

Román Baca is a classically trained ballet dancer and choreographer In 2001, recognizing his desire to defend the defenseless, he took a hiatus from dance and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a machine-gunner and fire-team leader in Fallujah, Iraq during the Iraq War.

After the war, Mr. Baca returned to dance and co-founded Exit12 Dance Company. He has choreographed and championed dance works that explore the military veteran experience and the impact of war on civilians and families. He also leads workshops and lectures at schools, universities, organizations, and veteran’s centers to inspire critical conversations about the impact war through the power of dance and art

Mr. Baca graduated from St. Mary’s College of California (BA, Cum Laude, Performing Arts) and was awarded a Fulbright to the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, UK where he earned his MFA with Merit in Choreography.

He is currently a PhD Candidate investigating the performing arts in the military at York St. John University in the UK. Mr. Baca is also a consultant for The Drive Project leading on Bravo 22, a Royal British Legion Funded Recovery through the Arts programme, and an art and recovery pilot programme with the UK Ministry of Defense. Mr. Baca is also a 2024 Fellow with the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program. He also led projects for the Soldiers’ Arts Academy C.I.C. and served on the leadership team that delivered the first UK Veterans Art Festival alongside the 2019 UK Invictus Trials.

Mr. Baca is the recipient of a 2020 scholarship to York St. John University, the 2019 Selma Jeanne Cohen Dance Lecture Award, a 2017-2018 US-UK Fulbright Postgraduate Award to the Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London, a 2018 HillVet Nominee, a 2015 New York State Veterans’ Hall of Fame Inductee, an 2014 Art and Healing Network Awardee, and has served as a fellow with Veterans in Global Leadership, The Mission Continues, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 COMPANY ARTISTS

LISA FITZGERALD

Associate Artistic Director, Artist

Lisa Fitzgerald is a ballet dancer and teacher originally from Massachusetts. Ms. Fitzgerald graduated from the professional ballet training program at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, and afterwards danced with Connecticut Ballet, Ballet Theatre Company, Sarah Berges Dance, Ballet Ambassadors, and Ballet des Amériques. Ms. Fitzgerald’s roles include The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Kitri in Don Quixote, Gamzatti in La Bayadere, and has had various classical and contemporary roles created for her.

Ms. Fitzgerald co-founded Exit12 Dance Company as a way aid her husband Román's transition back to civilian life post deployment and use dance as a way to heal As Associate Artistic Director Ms. Fitzgerald has performed and taught throughout the United States at institutions including West Point Military Academy, Stanford University, and Lincoln Center.

As a classical ballet teacher Ms. Fitzgerald has taught at Pineapple Studios and Danceworks (London), Mark Morris Dance Group, Ballet Theatre Company, and Regal Ballet (London), and West London School of Dance, among others. Along with teaching, Ms. Fitzgerald has choreographed and staged both original and classical ballets for children’s programs and pre-professional schools She has prepared students for classical ballet competitions and worked as a teaching artist, making dance accessible to children who might not otherwise have the opportunity.

Ms. Fitzgerald graduated summa cum laude from St. Mary’s College of California with a BA in Performing Arts Ms Fitzgerald holds a certificate for the first three years of professional ballet education from the Bolshoi Ballet Teacher Certification Program. Ms. Fitzgerald is currently an MA student in Dance Education at the Royal Academy of Dance in London.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 COMPANY ARTISTS

ADRIENNE DE LA FUENTE

Executive Director, Artist

Adrienne de la Fuente joined Exit12 in 2010 and has been with the company ever since, performing and leading workshops throughout the US and abroad.

In addition to her role as company dancer, she became Exit12's Company Manager and Rehearsal Director in 2016, a founding Board Member in 2018, and Executive Director in 2024. The daughter of a former Army Captain, Adrienne has developed a greater understanding of the military's influence on her own family and the community where she was raised through her work with Exit12 In 2022, Adrienne lost her cousin, a US Marine Afghanistan War Veteran, to a drug overdose after his return home from his second tour, making Exit12’s mission more deeply personal.

A California native, she trained with Richard Gibson and Zory Karah at the Academy of Ballet and with Fran Spector Atkins at SpectorDance She was a member of SpectorDance Company and danced in Fran Spector Atkins’ Figures in the Dust based on John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath. After moving to New York City for college, Adrienne trained at The Ailey School, while completing her degree in French Studies and Philosophy with a minor in Spanish at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

Outside of Exit12, Adrienne has performed with SpectorDance Company, the JUNTOS Dance Collective, Brooklyn Ballet, and with several NYC-based choreographers as a freelance dancer She was also Chief Operating Officer at Private Prep, an educational service company headquartered in New York City.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 COMPANY ARTISTS

TAYLOR GORDON

Artistic Associate, Artist

Taylor Gordon, an international dancer, teacher, and director has danced with Exit12 since 2010. She is currently a Show Supervisor for Step One Dance Company/RWS and Resident Director for Dublin Worldwide Productions as well as on Musical Theater faculty at New York Film Academy.

Taylor has performed at Lincoln Center with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, in 4 seasons of The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Off-Broadway and national tour of Angelina Ballerina The Musical, at The Kennedy Center & Carnegie Hall, internationally as a dance captain with Spirit Productions, TUI Cruises, & Cirque Le Masque, at Jacob’s Pillow, and, and with numerous ballet & contemporary companies in NYC like Exit12 Dance Company.

The New York Times wrote, “ on that big stage, Ms. Gordon does indeed seem a star,” referring to Radio City Music Hall in a full page Sunday Arts feature She trained at Boston Ballet, The Rock School, and Ballet Academy East and spent summers with Twyla Tharp, Complexions, ABT, & Miami City Ballet. An AGMA and AGVA member, she has appeared on television in a principal role in a commercial on Time Warner Cable NYC, on PBS Great Performance at the Met Live in HD, MTV’s “Made,” and The Today Show. She has been featured on CNN, NBC, Fox News, ABC, CBS, Dance Magazine, Vanity Fair Online, The Huffington Post, Dance Spirit, and The Times of India.

Taylor received a BA in Communication Arts and a Master’s Degree in Publishing by age 20 Taylor teaches in NYC at The Pilates Movement, The Mercedes Club, and the United Nations Ballet Club, and her workout videos are available on Amazon. She has guest taught in Japan, China, India, Bali, and across the US. Taylor has interned at The New Yorker and written for publications including Pointe www.taylorjgordon.com

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 COMPANY ARTISTS

AUDREY BORST

Artist

Audrey Borst is originally from Berkeley, California, and trained in ballet and modern at the San Francisco Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem and Alonzo King LINES Ballet and danced for Sarah Bush Dance Project, Peninsula Ballet, and the Oakland Ballet School. Since graduating from Alvin Ailey on scholarship she has danced with companies such as Jamal Jackson Dance, Dance-Lab New York, Julia Gleich Dance, Brooklyn Ballet, and The Love Show, performing works by Darshan Bhueller, George Balanchine, Antony Tutor, and Jeremy McQueen and can be seen in the musical Francois and the Rebels at the Public Theater by Jamie Cepero.

NICHOLAS CUNHA

Artist

Nicholas Cunha is a singer, dancer and actor currently based in New York City. A graduate of the University of Toronto, he joined the Conservatory at Circle in the Square Theater on Broadway (KPOP, Fun Home, Once On This Island, Oklahoma!) as an apprentice and has gone on to star in Macbeth and Spring Awakening. Nicholas has also performed as a guest artist of New York City Ballet at NY City Center, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center as a classical voice soloist (Cherubini's Requiem), Paper Mill Playhouse, and the Shaw Festival as an actor in On Your Feet and White Christmas respectively. A truly international champion of the arts, Nicholas is represented by CESD Talent in New York.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 COMPANY ARTISTS

GABRIEL DEREGO

Artist

Gabriel DeRego, a native of Hawai ´ i, studied dance at the Univ. of Hawai'i and graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance from Rutgers, NJ; with study abroad in Jerusalem, Israel. In 2018, he took a hiatus from dance for other pursuits. The beginning of 2022 found Mr. DeRego, unplanned, back in the studio dancing with a Graham and Hawkins based company in Virginia for their 2022-23 season He is now freelancing in the New York TriState Area. Some recent work has been the Vineyard Arts Project with Claire Kretzschmar, Connecticut Ballet’s winter season, and Ballet Hartford’s The Planets

JAFET REINOSO

Artist

Jafet Reinoso, born in Santo Domingo, graduated from the National Dance School of the Dominican Republic and joined the Dominican National Ballet at the age of 18 years old where he worked as corps de ballet and performed as a soloist. Jafet has danced for Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and American Liberty Ballet and independent choreographers and danced for Connecticut Ballet as a soloist. He has also taught ballet at numerous studios across the US, performed “Diana and Actaeon” at the Endanco International Contemporary Festival, and debuted an original contemporary piece entitled “Unfixable” choreographed by Patricia Ortega.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 SPECIAL GUESTS

DAVE DE LA FUENTE

President, Board of Directors & PhD (C) in Systematic Theology at Fordham University

David de la Fuente is a Ph.D. Candidate (ABD) in Systematic Theology and a Teaching Associate in the Department of Theology at Fordham University.

He also serves as a part-time lay pastoral associate at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City and as a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition. His dissertation, due to be defended this summer, is titled A Catholic Reception of Azusa Street’s Pentecostal Fire It engages the historiography of the Pentecostal movement and the theology of the Azusa Street Revival of 1906 in tandem with the philosophical hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur and the theological hermeneutics of Willie James Jennings in order to develop an anti-racist pneumatology that crosses ecumenical borders. He has published essays and book chapters on the topics of theology and racial justice, philosophical and theological aesthetics and hermeneutics, and theology and medicine in journals such as Christian Bioethics and The Other Journal, and in edited volumes The Human in a Dehumanizing World: Reexamining Theological Anthropology and its Implications: The College Theology Society Annual Volume 67 (Orbis Books 2021), Art, Desire, and God: Phenomenological Perspectives (Bloomsbury 2023), and Critical Realism and the Christian Scriptures: Foundations and Readings (Marquette University Press, 2024).

Dave is the recipient of a Louisville Institute Doctoral Fellowship and an Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award from the Fordham Graduate School of Arts and Sciences He is active in several academic societies such as the American Academy of Religion and the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality, and is currently serving as President of the Board of Directors of Exit 12.

KELSEE JORDAN

Artist

Kelsee is a freelance dancer and choreographer who generates much of her movement vocabulary from her time serving overseas Native to Ohio, she trained there for 17 years and continued her education with the Limón Institute.

She also graduated from Ohio University with honors in a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Performance, and Choreography. She also obtained a Master of Divinity from Liberty University. She has produced solo works throughout NYC, collaborated with the Marty Ray Project, and created group works for the NoOsphere Festival She has performed works created by numerous artists such David Dorfman, Limón, Spacejunk Dance, and Elizabeth Burr.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

TOMMY WILLIAMS

Artist

Tommy Williams is a former US Navy Iraq War combat veteran He has been working in finance in London and NYC for many years after his military service. As a professional actor, he also continues his creative acting passions with occasional theater/film/TV appearances.

JENNY PACANOWSKI

Artist

Jenny Pacanowski is the founder and director of Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving She served in Iraq as a combat medic during operation Iraqi freedom.

MONIQUE ARRUCCI

Artist

Monique Arrucci, a Brooklyn Native, joined the U.S. Army in 2002, after 9/11, and served for eight years. She deployed to Iraq 20042005 and currently, has been utilizing Dance, Art, Singing, Writing, Music, and Acting on her healing journey.

DONNA ZEPHRINE

Artist

Donna is a Army veteran who is a writer a member of the VFW, Team Rubicon, plays sled hockey with the Long Island rough riders and likes to travel and like spending time with family.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

JUDITH EXLER

Artist

Judith Exler is a retired high school chemistry teacher and the daughter of a World War Two veteran. She also was a volunteer on a kibbutz in Israel during the 1973 war.

JAMES STANTON

Artist

A retired USAF bomber & fighter pilot, international strategic analyst, and attorney. Actor James P (The Colonel) runs The Stanton Firm LLC which produces theater, dance, and short film.

MARIANNA (MJ)

Artist

I am a queer Chinese-Puerto Rican American storyteller. I believe storytelling through any medium, shares experience, adds to life

GUOQI FENG

Artist

My name is Guoqi Feng, I served five years in the Air Force. I’m a Data Analyst, a runner, a hiker, a big fan of psychology, nutrition and sleep science. I’m trying to be the hero of my own movie, you can be yours too.

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

JENN ALVAREZ

Artist

Jenn Alvarez is a 13 year Army Veteran currently transitioning out of Active duty and pursuing a career in consulting. She is excited to share her passion for the arts through dance and Exit 12!

JONATHAN JORDAN

Artist

Jonathan Jordan is a Brooklyn born native and U.S. Army veteran. His mission in life is to spread global love through art.

ZOE BROWN

Artist

Zoe Brown is a USMC Veteran and a NYC educator.

STORIES OF WAR

SPECIAL CREATIVETS GUEST

CHRIS FERRARA

Musician

Originally hailing from the small town of Sharon, MA, Ferrara relocated to Nashville in 2013. His music draws from an eclectic mix of influences to create a style as familiar as it is new. A blend of country boy soul with city kid swagger, his appeal is widespread across all genres and markets.

A true entertainer known for his high energy performances, Ferrara and his band, THE COMMON GOOD, is an infectious feel good show that has supported everything from national tours and festivals to global conferences and high profile weddings. They currently holds a Friday/Saturday night residency at Barstool Nashville and recently held a two-year residency at Justin Timberlake’s The 12/30 Club. With a horn section, keytar, and choreography to boot, CFTCG is more than a performance; it is an experience- one that has yet to leave a crowd unsatisfied.

STORIES OF WAR

PRESENTING PARTNERS

ABOUT EXIT12 DANCE COMPANY

Exit12 started in 2007 as a way for former professional ballet dancer turned US Marine Iraq War Veteran to reconnect and heal post deployment to Fallujah in 2005, by turning war stories into conversation provoking performances. Exit12 has reached over 10,000 militaryconnected individuals and 70,000 civilians with its programming.

Exit12 has grown into a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that engages the military community in the arts to aid recovery and improve health and wellbeing.

ABOUT THE INTREPID MUSEUM

The Intrepid Museum, a private non-profit, holds a special place in New York City’s cultural landscape. Founded in 1982 with the acquisition of the storied WWII aircraft carrier Intrepid a National Historic Landmark and the centerpiece of its collection the Museum welcomes over one million visitors annually from all around the world. Its mission is to promote the awareness and understanding of history, science and service through bold and immersive collections, exhibitions and programming in order to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire future generations.

Guided by its core values of integrity, innovation, and inclusivity, the Intrepid Museum’s exhibits and programs are designed to provide a meaningful visitor experience for all The Museum delivers nationally-recognized accessible programming to its audience with an emphasis on underserved communities, individuals with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities, including autism and dementia, and our veterans. Through its after-school, professional development, and STEM programs, the Museum educates and impacts more than 55,000 students each year

CreatiVets’ mission is to empower wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music. Through compassion, we are helping veterans live again https://creativets org ABOUT CREATIVETS

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A WARM THANK YOU TO:

The New York State Council on the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Council Committee on Veterans, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Intrepid Museum especially Charlotte Martin, Irene Tsitko, Molly Sloan, and Lynda Kennedy, Joe Bello, CreatiVets, especially Richard Casper and Anya Hudyncia, New York Theatre Ballet, especially Steven Melendez, Dave de la Fuente, Megan Leary, Lu Caldera and the Young Marines Westchester, RWS Entertainment especially Kyle Groff, Kimberly Giannelli, Paul Murray, Matthew Harding, Rhonda Brockington, Louis P. Ferrari, and people like you who support our crowdfunding campaigns and fundraising efforts.

EXIT12 RECOMMENDS

Women Veterans Empowered & Thriving (WVE&T) provides workshops utilizing a specialized empowerment model designed for the reintegration from military service to civilian culture. These empowerment workshops are accessible and ongoing each month. WVE&T provides education and awareness about women veterans and veteran issues by providing speakers for panels and public speaking events WVE&T also invites the public to listen to veterans empathetically in the modernizing of rituals storytelling created by ancient warrior cultures in which the veterans share their experiences and build a bridge of connection between veterans and civilians. The unique thing about WVE&T is that every veteran/family member that speaks/performs, facilitates or panels for our organization is a paid for their time, expertise and courage

STORIES OF WAR

EXIT12 RECOMMENDS

Veterans Repertory Theater, founded in February 2021, as a tax-exempt, non-profit 501c3 organization, aims to reinvigorate American theater through developing and producing the work of veteran writers and artists. Through fully produced plays, staged readings, immersive art shows and multimedia festivals, VetRep delivers to audiences intimate, impactful live performances as whimsical, hilarious, absurdist, and jarring as the veteran community that created them.

In addition, VetRep offers the Savage Wonder literary blog and Savage Wonder podcast Our literary blog focuses on veteran writers and poets, while our podcast features long-form, one-on-one conversations with veterans in the arts. You can learn more about VetRep’s Savage Wonder Festival of Veterans in the Arts here

All of VetRep’s staff and playwrights must be current or former military, law enforcement, fire/EMS, intelligence services, foreign service, DoD employees and contractors or immediate family members.